Wire-stretcher.



J. HABBEN.

WIRE STBETGHEB.

APPLICATION Hum NOV. 22, 1909.

Patented Aug. 9,1910.

mmwoqe UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB HAIBBEIN, OFdVION'IMORENGI, INDIANA.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAooB HABBEN, a citizen of the United States residing at Montmorenci, in the county of Tippecanoe and State of Indiana, have invented anew and useful Wire-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wire stretchersand has for an object to provide a compact and portable device of this character which can be readily connected tothe broken terminals of a fence wire and will draw the terminals together so that the same may be spliced.

Another object is to provide a fence stretcher in which the end bars of the windlass frame are reinforced to withstand the pull of the stretching cables.

Still another object is to provide a fence stretcher which will securely clamp the fence wire without the same being crimped or twisted out of its natural form.

"With the above advantages and other objeets in View which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention embraces the novel details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be made within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of my nnproved wire stretcher. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same showing the broken terminals of a fence wire clamped thereby.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts in the views shown.

Referring to the drawing a windlass is shown composed of two oppositely disposed U-bars 5 and 6. The wings 7 of one of the U-bars are preferably spaced a sufficient distance apart to engagethe outer faces of the wings 8 of the other U'bar, as shown. The juxtapositioned wings 7 and 8 are rigidly secured together by bolts or similar connectors 9. The windlass frame is thus provided with doubled or reinforced ends to withstand the pull of the stretching cables. Formed in each of the wings 7 and 8 are openings that form cylindrical bearings 10 and 10 in each end of the frame. Engaged through the bearin 10 is a flexible cable 11, one terminal of wldich is knotted or other- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 22, 1909.

Patented Aug. 9, 1910. Serial no; 529,354.

wise secured against being pulled through theopenin The opposite terminal of the flexible cab e is equipped with a hook 12 for engagement with the fence post 13. Loosely engaged through .the bearing 10 is a flexible cable 14, one extremity of which is fixedly secured to a windlass 15, the shaft 16 of which is journaled in the side bars of the frame, as shown. The opposite end of the flexible cable 14 is equipped with a hook 17 for engagement with a suitable fence clamp that is secured in the usual manner to the woven wire fencing.

Keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 16 is a ratchet 18. A pawl 19 pivoted to the side bar 6 of the frame engages the teeth of the ratchet and prevents a backward rotation of the Windlass. Keyed to the extremity of the shaft 16 are cranks 20 and 21 to permit the rotation of the Windlass from either side or to permit the employment of two persons in actuating the wlndlass.

In order that broken ends of wire fencing may be spliced a pair of clamps are arranged upon the flexible cords. Each clamp comprises a shank 22 adapted to extend longitudinally of the flexible cable and having at one end a clamping head comprising a split ring 23 to engage the flexible cable and having a clamping bolt 24: provided with a thumb nut'25 to draw the terminals of the ring together and securely clamp the cable. The opposite end of the shank is provided with an extension 26 that projects at right angles to the body portion of the shank. A clamping plate 27 bears against the lateral face of the extension 26 and is provided with a suitable opening to engage a clamping bolt 28 projecting from the latter. A thumb nut 29 travels upon the threaded extremity of the clamping bolt and operates to clamp the plate 27 to the extension 26.

In operation the broken terminals 30 and 31 of the fence wire are inserted between the clamping plate 27 and the extension 26 and the clamping plate advanced by means of the thumb nut 27 until the secured terminal of the fence wire is firmly clamped in position. The Windlass is then actuated whereby the broken terminals are drawn together and when a suflicient length of the terminals overlap to form a splice the Windlass cranks are released and the splice made after which the clamps may be disengaged from the wire.

It will be noted that either flexible cable may be used as the anchoring cable and further that the line wire of the fence is securely held in stretching without crimping or twisting the same. It will further be noted that the ends of the Windlass frame are reinforced to withstand the increasing strain of stretching the wire fencing and that the flexible cables being engaged through alined openings in the reinforced ends will position the broken ends of the wire fencing in alinement so that the same may be most advantageously manipulated during the process of forming the splice.

What is claimed is:

A wire stretcher comprising a frame consisting of U-shaped bars overlapped upon each other at their end portions, the overlapped end portions of the bars spacing the intermediate portions of the bars and holding them in parallel relation, securing devices passed through the overlapped ends of the bars, a Windlass journaled for rotation between the intermediate portions of the bars and having its axis parallel with the overlapped ends of the bars, the ends of said Windlass fitting snugly against the inner faces of the intermediate portions of the bars, a flexible member secured to one set of said overlapped ends of the bars at a point between the securing devices located at that end of the frame, and a flexible member passing through the other set of overlapped ends of the bars at a point between the securing devices located at that end of the frame and arranged to wind upon the windlass.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JACOB HABBEN.

Vitnesses:

F. M. RIFFLE, DANIEL E. HARRINGTON. 

